SOUND &
VISION
Thursday, September 01, 2011
2011 SOUND & VISION CERTIFIED & RECOMMENDED
SOUNDMATTERS FOXL
V2 BLUETOOTH
PRICE $199
BEST FOR travelers, audiophiles
WORST FOR bass freaks
THREE YEARS AFTER its debut, there’s still nothing quite like
the now updated FoxL. Its compact metal enclosure contains two “Twoofers,”
or high-excursion 1-inch drivers. On back is the BassBattery, a
mini-woofer that uses the rechargeable battery for extra mass and
deeper bass response. A kickstand in the back provides a secure
footing. The rear-mounted controls are simple: a power switch and
volume up/down buttons. You also get a 3.5mm sub output and a
mini-USB input for charging.
- The FoxL v2 feels like it was
designed for use by infantrymen or mountaineers. The metal housing
is as tough as it looks; the original survived a fall off 6-foot
speaker measuring stand without a scratch. The slim design fits
easily into a pants pocket.
When I played Indian musician Raghunath Manet’s Veena Dreams
– a recording that sets Manet’s aggressive veena playing against
percolating Indian and Western rhythms –
the FoxL v2’s detailed treble captivated me. Same with the midrange:
Voices sounded ultra-clear, like what I hear with my Genelec
recording monitors.
- Where the Jambox sounds sweet, the
FoxL v2 sounds pristine. Which you’ll prefer, I can’t predict, but
they’re both great. The big difference is in the bass: The FoxL v2
has more than you’d expect but much less than the Jambox. I recently
spent a delightful afternoon in San Francisco with FoxL v2, sitting
on the window bench of my room at the W Hotel and streaming
classical Indian music from the Sunaada Radio channel. When business
called me away, I just turned off the FoxL v2 and tossed it back
into my computer case, confident that it would survive the trip
home. That’s what the FoxL v2 Bluetooth is all about – for my money,
it’s the ultimate travel sound system.
FOXL, BABY Small enough to fit into a pants pocket, the FoxL V2’s
metal enclosure contains two high-excursion 1-inch drivers, along
with a mini-woofer around back. It even has a sub output jack!
The contents of all photos, graphics,
and text are protected by copyright
and may not be used or reproduced
without prior express written authorization from the publisher.
